Machine and method for performing successive operations on materials



April 6, 1943. w. F. NEWHOUSE MACHINE AND METHOb FOR PERFORMING SUCCESSIVE OPERATIONS ON MATERIALS v Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 3, 1940 INVENTOR. ll/alter P 4 %.47

Mw/waaa i ATTORNEY.

April 6, 1943. I

w. F. NEWHOUSE MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING SUCCESSIVE OPERATIONS ON MATERIALS Fil 'ed Aug. 3, 1940 'ISheets-Sheet 2 r1 zim ATTORNEY.

Ev m Aprilfi, 1943. w. F. NEw ous 2,315,540

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING SUCCESSIVE OPERATIONS ON MATERIALS Filed Aug. 3, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 6, 1943. w. F. NEWHOUSE 2,315,540

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING succ EssIvE OPERATIONS pNjNATERIALs Filed Aug. 940 '1 Shuts-Sheet 4' I I mlmlmlwlwlwumlm April 6, 1943.

W. F. NEWHOUSE MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING SUCCESSIVE OPERATIONS ON MATERIALS Filed Aug. 5, 1940 TSheets-Sheet 6 if ZZ/dlzer M '5 1 0R ma /Iowa ATTORNEY.

April 1943- w. F. NEWHOUSE 2,315,540

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING SUCCESSIVE OPERATIONS ON MATERIALS I Filed Aug. 5, 194 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 57A 9 .57 J7 tllllllllllllillllljjjlflfi 9/6112 1 INVENTOR,

jl/altermwfiawe ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 6, 1943 MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING SUCCESSIVE OPERATIONS ON RIALS MATE- Walter F. Newhouse, Benton Harbor, Mich. Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,969

33 Claims.

This invention relates, as hereinafter shown and described, to wirebound box machinery and methods of making wirebound box blanks, and more particularly to those that are adapted to make wirebound box blanks of difierent lengths or different shapes and sizes, by suitable adjustments on the machine, or automatic controls in the method, for that purpose.

Generally stated, therefore, the object of the invention, for this particular use or purpose, is to provide an improved construction and arrangeinent, and an improved method, whereby the speed of the feeding belts, by which the blanks are fed under the staplers, is automatically changed or varied, thereby placing the staples in predetermined position on the blanks and thus avoiding the insertion of staples at undesirable points in the work.

It is also an object to provide certain details and novel features of construction and arrangement, and certain novel method steps and provisions, tending to increase the general efliciency and desirability of a wirebound box blank machine and method of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of certain portions, in vertical section, of a machine embodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is practically a plan of the structure shown in Fig. l, with certain portions shown in horizontal section, and with certain portions broken away, for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, looking to the left in Fig. l of the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine on line 44 in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Fig. 5 is a similar vertical section on line 5-5 in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Fig. 6 is a similar vertical section on line 6-6 in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical detail section on line 7-4 in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section on line 8-8 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Q

9 is a plan view of the perforated sheet which constitutes the predetermined spacing or positioni 1g control for the rtaples:

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic plan View of one edge portion o." the blanks, showing the relation thereof lo the perforated sl'ii.-et in Fig. 9 of the drawings.

Fig. 11 is a perspective of one of the wirebound box blanks made on the said machine, by said improved method of controlling the spacing and positioning of the staples on the blanks.

Fig. 12 is a perspective of the overhead box made from the preliminary blank shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings.

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view showing the variable positioning or spacing of the staples on one of the sheets or slats of a blank, as the result of the automatic control of the continuous feeding motion of the blanks.

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the method of using the perforated stripor ribbon shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, in combination with ordinary photo-electric cell control.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the drawings, showing a different form of the invention.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 15 of the drawings.

Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one form of electrical control for the apparatus of the invention.

Fig. 18 is a diagrammatic view illustrating another form of electrical control for the apparatus of the invention.

As thus illustrated, and referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the machine constituting the invention, upon which the improved method of spacing or positioning of the staple on the blanks is employed, comprises a body frame I with transverse shafts 2 and 3, at opposite ends there of, it being observed that sprockets 4, oi. any suitable character, are mounted on aid shafts, and that sprocket belt feed chains 5, of the well known or any suitable character, are supported on said sprockets. It will be seen that these feed belts are provided with suitably spaced lugs or feed dogs 6, of well known form, to propel the well known fiat blanks, such as the one shown in Fig. 11, longitudinally of the machine.

Looking at Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the cleats 1 of the blanks slide in the parallel guides 8 of the machine, in the well known manner, with the sheets or strips of veneer 9 thereon, so that the usual or any suitable binding wires 10 can be stapled to the blanks, with the staples for the outside wires extending through the veneer and into the cleats, thereby to fasten the materials together to form blanks of the kind shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings.

Ultimately, the blank shown in Fig. 11 is folded, in the well known manner, to form a box of the kind shown in Fig. 12 of the drawings.

In the machine shown and described, and with nalled in the upper ends of the said body frame I, previously mentioned. It will be seen that staplers 15, of any suitable known or approved character, are mounted on the transverse bar [2, and are actuated'by the shait 14, in a manner common. and well known in machines of this kind. As the shaft 2 is rotated continuously. it is necessary for the staplers to swing forward a distance with the box blanks, each time that the staplers are operated to insert staples in the work, inasmuch as each staple is really traveling along with the work while it is being actually inserted. For this purpose, a rock shaft !6 is provided under the upper stretch of the feed belts; transversely of the machine, and provided with a link connection H with the lower bar l3, and a bell crank arm 18 on the shaft I6 is connected by a rod 19 with. the excentric 20 on the previously mentioned shaft l4, whereby the swinging frame, with the staplers thereon, is swung back and forth in timed relation to the continuous feeding motion on the feed belts.

The feed devices 2!, for feeding the wires to the several staplers shown, are operated simultaneously by the excentric rod 22, which latter is operated by the excentric 23 on the overhead power shaft i4, previously mentioned. A shield 24 is provided for each wire feed device, to block the action of the ratchet thereof, when it is desired to stop the feeding of the wire, and these shields 24 are actuated by the links 25 which are in turn actuated by the armature 2B of the solenoid 7.1, so that when the latter is energized, the feeding motion of the wire is cut off and discontinued, as when the spaces between blanks, or between sections of the sheet material, are passing below the staplers, for it is not desired to drive the staple into such spaces.

The wire-cutting mechanism 28, for severing the binding wires between blanks, is of any suitable or desired character, and may be employed and Operated in any suitable or desired manner,

- and needs no further description, as this wirecutting mechanism constitutes no part of the present invention.

By rotating the shaft 2 continuously, to feed the belts continuously, greater speed is insured for the machine, and a greater output therefor, as compared with intermittent feed, but such continuous feeding motion of the belts, in accordance with the method constituting the present invention, must be automatically changed or varied in order to properly space and position the staples on the blanks, for, looking at Fig. 10, for example, it will be seen that the staples 29 are farther apart other slab or strip of sheet material, and this irregular spacing of the staples is accomplished by the variable speed of rotation of the shaft 2, and such variable rotation can be obtained by various expedients; for example, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a pair of electromagnetic clutches 3| and 32 are provided, the latter on the shaft '2, while the clutch 3| is connected indirectly by gearing 33 and 34 with said shaft. An inclined shaft 35-is provided with aworm 36 that engages the wormwheel flon the countershaft 32 of the 1 clutch 3i," and is also provided with a worm 39 thatenga'ges" theworm wheel 40 on the shaft 2,

than are the staples 30 of an-' lower transverse bar [3, the I chine. It follows, therefore,

so that the two worm wheels 31 and 40 rotate constantly in unison, the shaft 35 being driven by bevel gearing 4| from the overhead shaft l4, previously mentioned. The shaft i4 is driven by a belt 42 from a pulley 43 which latter is operated by a belt 44 extending to the pulley 45 from the motor 46, which latter drives the entire mathat when the clutch 3| is closed, the transmission is through this clutch to the countershaft 38, and from the latter through the gearing 33 and 34, tothe shaft 2, so that the latter is rotated at a speed that will, for example, space the staples three inches apart. Then, when the clutch 3! is opened, and the clutch 32 is closed, there will be a relatively slow speed drive from the worm wheel 40, through the clutch 32, to the shaft 2, that will space the staples an inch and a half apart. This is because the worm 36 has a double thread that rotates the worm wheel 31 twice as fast as the worm 39 rotates the worm wheel 40, previously described. The clutches 3i and 32 can be any standard or suitable form of electromagnetic clutch, as for some reasons electric clutches of this kind are preferable to purely mechanical clutches, but the latter can be used if desired, by using suitable automatic controlling means therefor, in order to alternately shift from high speed to low speed for the shaft 2, thereby to space and position staples in the desired manner, so that no staples will be driven at undesirable points on the work.

As indicated in said Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the two electromagnetic clutches 3i and 32 are controlled by a, photo-electric cell mechanism, as follows: The endless ribbon or band 4'! is provided with a series of openings 48, spaced apart in a predetermined manner, to locate the staples exactly where they are wanted on the work. Incidentally, this endless ribbon or band, which may be made of metal or other suitable flexible material, is also provided with a series of openlugs 49 for controlling the electror'nagnet or solenoid 21, previously described, so that this ribbon or band 41 not only controls the placing of staples on the work, but also automatically cuts out the feeding of the staple wire, periodical-- ly, to prevent the driving of staples in the spaces between blanks or in the spaces between sheets or strips or sections of the same blank. For this purpose, electric lamps are provided to direct one beam of light that will go through the openings 48, and another beam of light that will go through the openings 49, against a sensitive portion of a photo-electric cell, as indicated in Fig. 14 of the drawings, it being understood that the photo-electric cell that receives the beam of light through the openings 48 is in turn connected with ordinary electric switch mechanism, with well known relays or otherwise, for controlling the circuits of the two electromagnetic clutches 3| and'32, previously described, with the result that these two clutches are alternated with each other, the switch mechanism automatically opening the circuit of one clutch and closing the circuit of the other clutch, each time the beam of light goes through one of the openings 48 shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. Each time a beam of light from another lamp passes through one of the openings 49 in the endless band or ribbon 41, the photoelectric cell that receives such beam of light be comes active to control suitable switch mechanism that will close the energizing circuit of the electromagnet or solenoid 21, thus drawing up the armature 26 and causing the shield 24 of each wire-feeding device 2| to block or prevent the feeding of the wire, thus preventing the driving of staples in spaces in the work, as previously explained. The said photo-electric cell apparatus, and the switches and relays controlled thereby, are common and Well known, and may be used in one form or another, and do not need any further explanation, inasmuch as their construction and mode of operation constitutes no part of this invention. It may be mentioned, however, that good engineering practice would dictate the use of such switches and relays that are equipped with means to min mize hysteresis. as well as to prevent destructive arcing between electric contacts.

It will be seen that the belt or endless ribbon 4'! can be driven in any suitable or desired manner, but it is preferably driven through the medium of the gearing 50 and 5! that transmit power from the shaft 2 to the said belt or ribbon to cause the latter to travel around the supportmg rolls 52 provided for this purpose, the said transmission of power being properly timed in relation to the speed of the feed belts 5 by which the blanks are fed continuously under the staplers.

As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the electric control is preferably through a cable 53 from the photo-electric cell instrumentalities within the box 54, to the box or cabinet 55 in which relay. switch mechanism may be enclosed, of any suitable character, and from the said cabinetfthrough a cable 55 to the brushes and rings 5'! that are interposed in the circuits of the two electromagnetic clutches.

Power from the motor 46 to the machine is controlled by a clutch mechanism 58 of any suitable character, through the medium of a hand-lever 59, so that the machine can be started 7 and stopped at will. I

Thus, the holes 48 in the endless ribbon or band 48 serve to locate the staples on the blanks, and it will be understood that for this purpose the feed ng motion of said band is co-ordinated accordingly with the feeding motion of the endless belts that feed the blanks, whereby the acceleration of said blank-feeding belts 5 will occur at the proper time, to locate the staples at predetermined points on the blanks. Looking at Fig. 13, for example, the first staple, in the top of one of the slats of a blank. may be driven at 60, and the second staple may be driven at 6!, or the next staple might be driven at 62 or 63, as the case may be, depending upon the exact location desired for these staples.

In this way, therefore, no staples are driven during the accelerated speed of the feed belts 5, when the clutch 3| is closed, and staples are only driven during the periods of retardation when the clutch 32 is closed. The normal or relatively low speed is for the purpose of continuously carrying the belts forward, and the relatively high speed is for the purpose of per odically accelerating the said normal speed. and it is only during the slow speed that staples are inserted in the blanks, as they are not inserted until after the period of acceleration has terminated and the slow speed has begun.

Looking at Figs, and 16 of the drawings, the general construction is similar to that previously described. but in this case link be ts G4 and 65 have been substituted for the endless ribbon or perforated band previously described. and the e link belts are provided. respectively. with lugs 66 and 67, the former representing the predetermined positions for the staples on the blanks, and,

arms 68 and 69, which in turn control suitable switch mechanism in the box or housing l6, from which latter the cable Ii extends to the two clutches 3i and 32, previously described, so that mechanical control is thus substituted for light control, for the purpose of alternately energizing the two clutches, in a manner predetermined by the location of the lugs 66 and 61 on the two link belts. The latter can be driven by worm gearing l2, operated by bevel gearing 13 on the shaft 2, previously described, and the belts 65 and 64 will have their rate or speed of travel co-ordinated with the feed belts 5. so that the electric switch mechanism. of any suitable or desired character, in the box 70, will be controlled to in turn control the clutches 3| and 32 in a manner to predetermineclly accelerate and decelerate or retard the speed of the said blank-feeding belts. This means that the lugs 66 are relatively positioned to predetermine the position of the staples on the blanks, while the lugs 61 are relatively located to cut out the wire feed for the staples, periodically. to prevent the forming and attempted driving of staples in spaces, as previously explained.

Thus, with either form of the invention, and

with any form of the invention in which the shaft 2, by any suitable or desired or known or approved instrumentalities. is given the variable and continuous rotation, that periods of acceleration alternate with periods of deceleration or retardation, staples are only driven in the blanks during the said periods of retardation. Consequently, the swinging stapler frame ll must be co-ordinated with the slow speed, so that the staplers will swing forward in unison with the slow speed of the blank-feeding belts, for it is only at such time that staples are formed and forced out of the lower ends of the staplers into the continuously traveling blank materia s. Hence, of course, the forward swing of the staplers is at a speed somewhat less than the accelerated forward travel of the blank-feeding belts. But, of course, as soon as th s clutch 32 is opened, and the clutch 3| i closed, the belts 5 are then given the relatively fast speed. by instant acceleration, and this speed is faster than the rate of speed at which the staplers are swung forward at each 'forward stroke thereof by the elements ll, I8

and i9, previously described, and hence the excentric 20, that produces the forward and back swinging motion of the staplers, must be co-ordinated with the retarded speed of the blank-feeding belts. and the timing must be such that the blanks and the staplers move forward a distance together. while the staples are actually being forced into the blank materials, thereby preventing any distortion of the staples as the result of the use of continuous feed for the blanks, which is much faster than is found to be possible with intermittent feed.

As previously explained, the cabinet may contain whatever relays and vacuum or similar tubes are necessary or desirable to effectively control the two electromagnetic clutches, with either form of the invention, or with any other controller, other than the band 47. or the belts 64 and 65. As the current, controlled by a photoelectric cell, is necessarily relatively weak, it fol lows that the signal transmitted by the photoelectric cell or electric eye must be amplified, one

or more times, before it can be incorporated in a current of sufficient strength to operate the two electromagnetic clutches, and any suitable known or approved relay and amplification instrumentalities may be employed for this purpose. Looking at Fig. 17, for example, a simplified diagram is shown to illustrate the general principles of the photo-electric cell control employed in Figs.

'1 and 2 of the drawings. In actual practice, a relay for each clutch can be employed, but in this diagram a simple two-point relay is shown, for alternately controlling the circuits of the two clutches, as the result of signals received from the photo-electric cell 15, of any suitable charaster, as the result of the flashing of the light through the openings in the endless ribbon or band previously described. These signals, in other words, may be translated into action on the part of the two clutches by any suitable means for that purpose.

Looking at Fig. 18 of the drawings, a diagram is here shown that is similar to that of Fig. 1'7, except that in this case the mechanical control shown and described in connection with Figs. 15 and 16 is indicated, for operating a simple twopoint relay 16, in the manner indicated. Thus, when the relay I4 is energized, the circuit of the clutch 32 is opened, and the circuit of the clutch 3| is closed; and similarly, when the relay i6 is energized, the circuit of the clutch 32 is opened, and the circuit of the clutch 3| is closed, with the result, in each case, that the speed of the blank-feeding belts is accelerated from normal to the higher speed that is necessary to predetermine the positions of the staples on the blanks.

The fundamental conception or broad conception, therefore, is the automatic controlling of the machine in a manner to predetermine the placing or positioning of the staples on the blanks, while maintaining the timing of the stapling strokes constant, as such timing is not varied in any manner, but, to the contrary, is made constant at all times. In other words, the speed or rotation of the shaft 2 is changed or varied automatically, but the speed of rotation of the overhead stapling shaft l4, and the timing of the stroke of the staplers, is never changed or varied. Thus, automatic control is provided to predetermine the positions of the staples on the work, without changing or varying the timing of the stapling strokes, and this is preferably done by automatically changing or varying the continuous feeding motion of the belts that feed the blanks. This does not mean, of course, that these belts 5 have an intermittent motion, but simply that their continuous forward feeding motion is not constant, but is intermittently variable, as

tion is not limited to any particular controlling 4 these belts first travel at normal speed, and then jump ahead by acceleration thereof, a distance, and the periods of such acceleration are not regular. To the contrary, these periods of acceleration are necessarily irregular, when it is desired to space the staples irregularly, or to locate them irregularly. Should it be desired to space the staples uniformly, or regularly, a one-speed continuous feeding motion for the feed belts 5 could be used, but in actual practice this is found to be impracticable, as it results in the driving of staples at points where they are not needed, or where they are ineffective to hold the materials together. Consequently, by giving the feed belts 5 an irregular or non-uniform continuous forward feeding motion, so that staples are only driven during the periods of predetermined retardation, the staples are not spaced uniformly,

and are not located regularly, but are driven exactly at the points where they are needed, or where they are necessary to effectively hold the materials together.

In practice, therefore, with a. process and machine of this character, there would be a perforated endless belt or band 4'! for each different set-up of blanks, or a different set of link belts 64 and 65 for each different set-up of blanks. In other words, if the blanks are longer, and require different spacing of the staples, a different controller will be necessary, from what would be suitable for shorter blanks, or blanks upon which the staples are spaced in a different manner. Thus, when the dimensions of the blanks to be made have been determined, and the correct positions of the staples thereon have also been determined, the proper controller, either a band 41 or some link belts 64 and 65, or any other suitable controller, is then placed on the machine to insure the driving of the staples at the points predetermined on the blanks. Incidentally, as previously explained, this controller may also control the feeding of the wire for the staples, to avoid the forming and attempted driving of staples in spaces, but this is what is commonly called a skipper," something that is well known and understood, and the controlling of the feeding of the staple wire may be accomplished by any suitable or desired means, very obviously, instead of by using the same controller that automatically controls the positioning of the staples on the blanks.

So far as the use of relays M and 16 is concerned, or similar relays, for controlling the circuits of the two electromagnetic clutches 3i and 32, it will be understood that these relays can be powered by current from a'main supply, or by current from a local battery, and that suitable transformers and other things necessary to the effective use of such relays, or relays of any kind, for controlling the two electromagnetic clutches, may be employed in accordance with known electrical engineering practice, and do not need to be shown or described. In other Words, the invenmeans for automatically controlling the continuous speed of the shaft 2, or of any other element of the machine, by which alternate acceleration or deceleration or retardation are obtained, in order to predetcrmine the points of insertion on the blanks, and to insure the driving of the staples at those points.

It is conceivable, for example, that instead of electromagnetic clutches, suitable mechanical clutches could be used, with only mechanical control therefor, so that no electrical apparatus whatever would be necessary. The fundamentally important thing, as previously indicated, is to insert the staples at predetermined points on the blanks, without changing the timing of the stapling strokes of the swinging staplers, so that the stapling shaft l2 and the staple formers and drivers may operate at constant speed.

Again, it will be observed that in accordance with the process and machine shown and described, the driving position of the staples, relatively to the machine as a whole, does not change or vary, but is always the same. In other words, each staple is always given its initial insertion in a predetermined point which is fixed relatively to the machine frame or body, for example, and this stapling position extends from this initial point to the point where the head of the staple is finally firmly embedded in the blank materials, as

covers and embodies the distance that the staple travels with the work while it is actually being inserted therein. This stapling position, thus defined, is fixed and constant relatively to the machine itself, and never changes. The consequence is that the staples are all inserted at the same angle, relatively to the horizontal plane in which the blanks travel.

Thus, the invention obviates the necessity of any violent stopping and starting of any of the parts, either for driving staples or for feeding blanks, which not only means higher speed and greater capacity for the machine, but also less wear and tear thereon, in the automatic placing or positioning of the staples at predetermined points on'the blanks. T 's is true, of course, regardless of whether electrically controlled and operated clutches are employed, or whether they are merely mechanical clutches with purely mechanical control therefor, for the smooth and continuous feeding of the blanks is insured in either case.

Obviously, screw devices 11 can be employed to keep the belts adequately or desirably tightened on their sprockets, in order to insure accurate feed of the blanks, and the lugs 6 on the feed belts 5, it will be understood, can be adjustable thereon, for blanks of different lengths, and different sets of these lugs or feed dogs can be provided for different kinds of set-ups and different kinds of blanks, so that practically all of the different shapes and sizes of commercial blanks can be made on one and the same machine.

It will be understood that workers or attendants lay the cleats in position on the machine, end to end, as shown, and that the slats or strips 9 are then laid in place on the said cleats, it being desirable to provide enough feed belts 5, and enough lugs or feed dogs thereon, to not only properly position the cleats relatively to each other, but also to properly position the said slats or strips thereon. As many wires l0 may be used as may be necessary or desirable for the type of blanks to be made on the machine, and it will be understood that each blank may have four flexibly connected sections, as shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings, in order to make a rectangular box as shown in Fig. 12, or that blanks comprising only two or three sections may also be made on a machine of this kind. Regardless of the particular type of blank made, the automatic controlling means will function to drive the staples at predetermined points thereon.

Regarding the electric control form of the invention, shown in Figs. 1 and 20f the drawings, it is obvious that some mechanical control can be provided for the relays, to supplement the photo-electric cell control thereof, if desired. For example, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the shaft 35 is gear connected to a horizontal shaft 18 extending through a cabinet or box 19 that contains what might be called limit switches for the relays, but mere ordinary electrical engineering of this kind is no part of the invention, and does not need any further description.

Still another way of using the invention, quite obviously, would be to use the lugs 66, or similar means, for directly controlling the two electromagnetic clutches, or the equivalent of the latter, instead of exercising this control through the medium of the relay 76, or equivalent relay mediums. for it is conceivable that such direct control could be made operative and satisfactory.

Moreover, it is obvious that if a photo-electric the stapling position is the automatic iii! cell control be employed, any suitable number of such cells can be employed, together with mirrors of light, in accordance with practice in connection with control of this character. For example, the perforations for the beam of light need not be in an endless ribbon or band, but can be in a flat sheet, if desired, as is common in machines for other purposes. It is also obvious that the power transmission for the feed shaft 2 may have more than two speeds, if desired, and thatstaples may be driven during any desired speed of feeding motion for the blanks under the staplers. With the two speeds shown and described, for example,

speed, or during the periods of some intermediate speed. The important consideration, therefore, control of a machine of this kind, to automatically insert the staples at predetermined points on the blanks, while maintaining the timing of the stapling strokes constant, and while maintaining the stapling position fixed or constant relatively to the machine as a whole, this stapling position comprising the distance that each staple travels from the time its points begin to enter the blanks until its head is imbedded or solidly located on the top of the blanks. In other words, it is not only true, according to the broader aspects of the invention, that the timing of the stapling strokes remains constant, but also that the timing and the range of swinging movement of the staplers remains constant, so that the swing is always between two points that are fixed relatively to the body of the machine, or to the machine as a whole. And, notwithstanding these constants, the staples are neveretheless inserted at predetermined points on the blanks, so that they may be spaced uni formly or non-uniformly, or regularly or irregularly, according to the requirements of the different kinds of blanks and the different kinds of materials from which they are made.

While the automatic control of the feeding motion of the blanks is shown and described as being accomplished by auxiliary means, means auxiliary to the blank feeding belts, it is obvious that the latter can be employed to directly control a variable speed transmission, either electrically or mechanically, in any suitable or desired manner, without departing from the spirit of the invention, for it is obvious that, for example, controlling pins or lugs (not shown) could be placed on the blank feeding belts oppoing belts at a predetermined variable speed, de,

termined by the points where the staples are desired to be inserted in the blanks. The two speed variable speed transmission shown and described is suitable for the purpose, but other variable speed transmissions may be employed to drive the blank feeding belts in the desired manner, quite obviously, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

While th machine shown and described, and the method described, are for the manufacture of wirebound box blanks having cleats, it is obvi- Y may be employed for the manufacture of cleatless blanks of different kinds. There are various blanks that are made, for the production of boxes of different kinds, that are made on stapling machinery of this general character, by feeding them in a horizontal plane, and it is obvious that the invention can be employed to insert the staples at predetermined points on blanks of any suitable or desired character, as well as on those shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Thus it will be seen that the invention tends to reduce the cost of production of wirebound boxes, or of box or crate blanks, inasmuch as the machine can be run at relatively higher speed than was heretofore possible with certain other machines for this purpose. The endless feed belts that feed the blanks travel at relatively higher speed than was heretofore possible, and while the speed is not uniform, it is nevertheless true that it is a continuous the sense that periods of feeding motion do not alternate with absolute stops. This enables the machine to run at relatively high speed, and thus speed up the production of the wirebound box blanks or any other products made on the machine embodying the invention.

While only one use of the invention has been shown and described, which is the making of wirebound box blanks, it is obvious that the invention can be employed for various purposes, as there are many fields in which materials are subjected to successive operations thereon, by feeding them toward and past and beyond the position of the means for performing the successive operations, and while stapling operations are shown and described, as one use for the invention, it is obvious that the invention can be used for performing other operations, successively, on various kinds of materials, by automatically changing or varying the speed of the feeding motion of the materials, of one kind or another, in order to predetermine the points of successive operation thereon, or to predetermine the spacing of the points of successive operations on the materials, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

There is another aspect of this invention, as follows: .Looking at Fig. 17, for example, or even Fig. 18, it is obvious that there is, in theory at least, a brief moment when both electric clutches are open, after one is de-energized, and before the other is energized. That means that, for at least a small period of time, the feed belts of the machine are moving by momentum rather than by power, during the transition or change from a period of relatively high speed to a period of relatively low speed. However, the feed motion of the belts is practically continuous, in the sense that there is practically no appreciable period of time during which there is an absolute stoppage of said feed motion such as there is in the intermittent feed motion obtained by the use, for example, of a ratchet or other similar device. In other words, the feeding motion, involved in the invention shown and described, of the blanks, or other kinds of work, is variable, in a predetermined manner, but it is not intermittent in the sense that there are periods of absolute stoppage between periods of motion, in which case sta-' tionary staplers are ordinarily used for driving staples in each period of absolute stoppage of the feeding motion. Moreover, it is obvious that the staplers and feed belts and other elements could be timed and co-ordinated to insert the. staples during the said brief period of time while the feeding motion, in

I thing on the belts.

belts are'moving under momentum, and while both electromagnetic clutches are open, if that should be found necessary or desirable. That could be done, of course, very obviously, without any departure from the spirit and scope of the invention herein shown and described and claimed. But for the purpose of illustration of the invention, the latter may be considered as involving only the two speeds, for the feeding motion of the feed belts, a normal or relatively low speed, and a relatively high speed, one speed alternating with the other, and the staples being inserted during the low speed, just after the termination of the high speed period, in the manner shown and described.

While the automatic feed control shown and described has been explained as being useful for the purpose of predetermining and controlling the driving of staples in the traveling work, or for predetermining the position of other successive operations on materials, it is obvious that the said automatic control of the feed may be used for other purposes, if such is desired.

It is important to observe, therefore, that the path of power transmission to the endless feed belts, for the relatively low speed of feeding movement of said belts, is open when the other path of power transmission for the relatively higher speed is closed. In other words, either path is open when the other is closed, as there are two clutches, and when one path is closed, the other is open. Obviously, however, the transverse feed shaft 2 is a part of each path of power transmission to the endless feed belts by which the blanks are moved to and through the stapling position to receive staples at the points predetermined by the controller that automatically controls the acceleration of the speed of travel of the feed belts. Therefore, the shaft 2 has a variable speed rotation, periods of relatively slow speed alternating with periods of relatively greater speed. Therefore, when the path of power transmission for the relatively fast speed is closed, there is then nothing in operation that is rotating the shaft 2 at the relatively slow speed, necessarily, because this shaft cannot rotate both relatively slow and relatively fast at the same time. Hence, this shaft 2 is always rigid with the sprockets 4, and the shaft and the two sprockets always rotate in unison, since any and all movement given the feed belts must come as the result of power transmitted through said shaft. Thus, the endless feed belts are given a variable speed, relatively slow speed alternating with relatively fast speed, for different sizes or different kinds of blanks, without adjusting or disturbing or doing any- In this way, the automatic control of the speed of the feeding motion of the belts is entirely independent of the belts themselves and would be operated even though the belts were not in place on the machine. Nothing on the belts, in other words, is depended upon to produce the accelerated speed of the feeding motion of the blanks to the machine. Of course, the feed belts are depended upon to push the blanks along through the machine, at either speed, but what is meant is that the automatic change from one speed to the other is not produced by anything operated or mounted upon the belts themselves, as the automatic controller that brings about the accelerated speed of feed for the work or blanks is entirely independent of the endless feed belts.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The process of making wirebound box blanks, by feeding the blanks continuously and stapling them 'while they are moving along, comprising the maintaining of the timing of the stapling strokes constant, while effecting acceleration with retardation in the feeding of the blanks, with the retarded feed of power entirely open and inoperative during each accelerated feed of power to the blanks, thereby to locate the staples at predetermined points thereon, and controlling said feed so'that stapling occurs during only one speed of feeding.

2. A process as specified in claim 1, in which the stapling zone, where the staples are inserted, remains fixed and constant.

3. A process as specified in claim 1, in which one speed is a normal speed and staples are only inserted during the normal periods of the feed.

4. A process as specified in claim 1, in which staples are inserted only during periods of a decreased speed of feed.

5. A process as specified in claim 1, in which the speed of feeding alternately increases and decreases.

6. A process as specified in claim 1, in which the periods of acceleration all have the same speed, and the periods of retardation all have the same speed.

'7. A process as specified in claim 1, in which said periods of acceleration, during which no staples are driven, occur irregularly.

8. A process as specified in claim 1, in which the periods of acceleration and retardation are predetermined by the character of the blanks.

9. A machine for making wirebound box blanks, by feeding the blanks continuously and stapling them while they are moving along, comprising an overhead rotary stapling shaft having a constant speed, to maintain the timing of the stapling strokes constant, and feeding means ineluding a rotary feed shaft for driving the blanks continuously through the stapling position, which latter remains fixed or constant relatively to the machine as a whole, said feed shaft having a variable speed of rotation to cause the blanks to have periods of normal speed alternating with periods of accelerated speed, with the latter pre determined by the motion of the feed shaft, whereby staples may be inserted at predetermined points on the blanks.

10. A structure as specified in claim 9, there being a variable speed transmission for operating said feed shaft, with instrumentalities operated by the blank feeding means to automatically control said transmission.

11. A structure as specified in claim 9, the said stapling strokes being timed in co-ordination with the periods of retardation of the feed,

so that each staple travels a distance with the blanks while being actually inserted therein.

12. A structure as specified in claim 9, said periods of acceleration of the feed being irregular, thereby to space the staples irregularly on the blanks.

13. A structure as specified in claim 9, said overhead stapling shaft having a swinging frame thereon, with means for swinging the frame forward in unison with the normal speed of said feed, with a plurality of staplers on said frame, so that a plurality of staples are being forced into the blanks and are traveling forward with the latter during periods of normal feed.

14. A structure as specified in claim 9, said rotary feed shaft having a plurality of endless feed belts thereon constituting the means for moving the blanks forward in the horizontal feeding plane thereof, and the staples being only inserted during the periods of normal feed of said belts.

15. A structure as specified in claim 9, comprising a variable speed power transmission for driving said feed shaft, and instrumentalities for automatically controlling said transmission, including a traveling member having perforations representing the predetermined positions for the staples on blanks, together with means for directing a beam of light through said perforations, and photo-electric cell means to receive said beam of light.

16. A structure as specified in claim 9, having a variable speed power transmission for operating said feed shaft, and instrumentalities operated by the feeding means to control said transmission, including a member with lugs thereon representing the predetermined positions of the staples on the blanks, and means for engaging said lugs to control said transmission.

1'7. A machine for making wirebound box blanks, by feeding the blanks continuously and stapling them while they are moving along, comprising stapling means for stapling the blank materials together, and blank feeding means having a variable continuous feeding motion, through a'rotary member having a variable feed rotation, with periods of relatively low speed alternating with periods of relatively high speed, and controlling means whereby staples are only inserted during certain of said periods of speed of the feeding motion of the blanks under said stapling means.

18. A structure as specified in claim 17, in which the stapling means and feeding means are relatively timed to cause the driving of the staples during only the periods of relatively low speed of the feeding motion of the blanks.

19. A structure as specified in claim 17, comprising means operated by the feeding motion of the blanks to prevent the formation and attempted driving of staples in spaces between blanks, or in other spaces.

20. A machine for performing successive stapling operations on materials, comprising means for feeding the materials, stapling mechanism for performing the successive stapling operations on the materials, power transmission means for operating said feeding means, devices for automatically changing or varying the speed of said transmission to predetermine the spacing of the points of operation by said stapling mechanism on said materials, and means controlling the operation of said devices to provide for operation of said stapling mechanism during only a predetermined speed of said transmission means.

21. A blank stapling machine comprising an endless feed belt for moving the blanks along a predetermined path, and through the stapling position, a rotary member engaging said belt to give it the necessary feeding motion, and means to automatically change the speed of said rotary member to thereby cause the blanks to travel in various predetermined periods of different speed, said means comprising a movable pattern member entirely separate from said belt, and means controlled by said pattern member for effecting said change in speed of said rotary member.

22. A structure as specified in claim 21, in which said means controlled by the pattern member includes electromagnetic clutch means for changing the speed of rotation of said rotary member.

23. Apparatus of the character described comprising an endless feed belt for propelling materials through a machine for performing successive operations on the materials, power drive means for continuously moving said belt, and automatic means separate from the belt or anything thereon and cooperating with said drive means for intermittently changing the feeding speed of the belt.

24. A structure as specified in claim 23, said automatic means comprising an endless member having means thereon spaced in accordance with the desired spacing of the successive operations on the materials for controlling the change of speed of the feed belt, and means driven by the operation of the machine for operating said endless member. y l

25. A machine for feeding materials along a predetermined path of travel, comprising conveyor means including a rotary member for mov ing the materials along said path, power trans pattern member comprising a replaceable member having a plurality of control means arranged thereon in accordance with a desired predetermined pattern. a

31. A blank stapling machine comprising an endless feed belt for moving the blanks along a predetermined path, and through the stapling position, a rotary member engaging said belt to give it the necessary feeding motion, and means to automatically change the speed of said rotary member to thereby cause the blanks to travel in various periods of different speed, said means including an endless travelling controller separate and distinct from said feed belt, and means cooperating with said controller to automatically control the variable speed of said rotary member.

mission means for communicating feed 'motion g" to said conveyor means through said rotary member, and automatic feed control means operating through said transmission meansandsaid rotary member for intermittently varying the speed of ,said conveyor means, said control means including a movable pattern member env a to said feeding means through said rotary memtirely separate and distinct from said conveyor means, and means operated by said pattern member for controlling the operation of said transmission means.

26. A structure as specified in claim 25, said feed control means being adapted to cover either regular or'irregular feeding motion of said materials.

2'7. A structure as specified in claim 25, said feed control means being operative in accordance with a predetermined arrangement of successive points on said materials. 7

28. A structure as specified in claim 25, said feed control means being operated by a power offtake from said transmission means.

29. A structure as specified in claim 25, said.

feed control means including electromagnetic clutch means in said transmission means. 1

30. A structure as specified in claim 25, said 32. A machine for feeding materials along a predetermined pathjof travel, comprising feeding means including a-rotary member for moving the materials along said path, power transmission means for communicating .feed motion ber, and automatic feed control means operating through saidv transmission means and saidro-r ptary member for intermittently varying the speed of said feeding means, said feeding means comprisingan endless conveyor belt guided for a portion of its travel in a straight line that forms said pathof travel, and said feed control includsaid belt having a plurality of control means arranged thereon in a predetermined pattern corresponding to predetermined points on said materials.

33. Apparatus of the character described comprising an endless feed belt for propelling materials through a machine for performing successive operations on the materials, power drive means for continuously moving said belt, and automatic means separate from the belt or anything thereon and cooperating with said drive means for intermittently changing the feeding speed of the belt, said automatic means including a pattern member and photo-electric means controlled by the pattern member.

WALTER F. NEWHOUSE. 

